Rebellion Against Fate
by Alana Snow
Summary: Melbu Frahma was defeated, but Soa refuse to have his plan thwarted by mortals. Winglies and Humans join forces in a battle against the will of their Creator. Lloyd x Wink, Albert x Emille, Dart x Shana, Meru x Guaraha
1. More Than An Infatuation

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**Rebellion Against Fate**

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**Chapter One: More Than An Infatuation**

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**_Infatuation._**

That was the word Miranda used when she chided Wink for her reckless actions. The scolding was brief, for the First Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau was on her way to Vellweb with Dart and the other Dragoons. Nonetheless, Miranda was harsh in her wording, and clearly very angry at Wink.

Wink sighed, glancing up at her ceiling. She supposed Miranda had a reason to be angry with her. It was only her very good luck, and Dart's incredible reflex as a swordsman that saved her from a certain death. Wink had been with Miranda long enough to know that she always resorted to anger when she was concerned and scared.

Turning her head to glance out the window into the starry night sky, Wink briefly wondered where Miranda was at the moment, and whether she was still safe. Even if Miranda was a Dragoon, a part of a legend as old as time itself, it didn't guarantee her safe return. For she and the other six dragoons were challenging Fate itself.

Fate…

The word turned her thoughts to her other sisters, Luanna and Setie. They were gentler and showed more concerns when Wink was brought back to the palace, but it was clear they were not pleased with her actions either. Setie said she could understand, to some extent, why Wink felt obliged to Lloyd for having saved her twice. But she could not understand why Wink **_wanted_** to save the man, all feelings of obligation and debt aside.

Luanna alone offered no reproach. She called it fate. The blinded Sacred Sister only smiled sadly, and told Wink to tread more carefully in the future.

_Well, at least **she** didn't think it was a foolish infatuation._

Deep in her heart, Wink knew what she felt for Lloyd was on a deeper level than that. She wouldn't call it love yet, for how could she really **_love_** a man whom she only met briefly? But it wasn't infatuation either…

Oh! But how she wished it were simple as that! If it were only a passing fancy, then maybe she would have forgotten the hurt of his betrayal by now. She repaid his kindness in saving her life by shielding him from a fatal blow with her body. The debt was discharged, she now owed him nothing.

Yet the scar on her back remained, and the emptiness in her heart refused to dissipate.

And that emptiness shall forever stay with her, for she was drawn to him ever since their first meeting in Donau, and she will never see him again.

With a soft, sad sigh, Wink closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.

**********

Something roused her from her deep slumber. It was a feeling of anticipation, excited by an unknown presence, which was demanding her wakefulness, refusing to be ignored.

Wink stirred slightly, blinked twice, and an involuntary gasp escaped her lips as she identified the source that drew her out of her slumber.

Lloyd.

He sat on the edge of her bed, his leg almost brushing her hand, which lay beside her thigh. He was staring down at her intently, his platinum hair reflected the moonlight and cast a soft glow about his handsome face. Wink felt her heart beat faster at the sight of him.

"Mr… Mr. Lloyd!"

"Please," He raised a hand, "Call me Lloyd, and give me leave to call you Wink."

"By, by all means…" She felt quite flustered, not knowing what to think. She even felt a tinge of absurdity at the situation. How could he talk so calmly, formally and politely, when he was in her bedroom, **_sitting on her bed_**, in the middle of the night and without permission?

"What are you doing over here?" She blunted out, sounding a little harsher than she meant in her confusion.

"I wanted to make sure you are okay." He made a vague gesture toward her, "Your wound…"

"Oh." She blinked and sat up, "I'm fine… The doctor said it's healing properly and soon it won't affect my activities at all."

"Good." He nodded, his gaze penetrating as he searched her face, "I never meant for you to get hurt." His voice was deep, melodic, and surprisingly tender.

"I… It was my choice. I wanted to save you." She replied just as softly.

Lloyd seemed to want to say more, but remained silent. He continued to stare at her. His gaze wasn't severe, nevertheless it was unnerving, and made her fidget uncomfortably. Biting on her lower lip, she gathered the blanket about her more tightly, conscious of the fact that she was clad only in her nightgown.

"I didn't use you."

The statement was so sudden, so unexpected that she could only stare back at him dumbly, before finally blurting out: "What?"

"I didn't use you." Lloyd's blank expression betrayed nothing, but his voice was gentle, earnest, "I could have gotten to Queen Theresea without you. In the forest… I wanted to save you. As was the time in Donau."

Finally, he lowered his gaze to her delicate hands, which were folded in her lap. He couldn't explain why he came to her this night, before he makes the journey to Mayfil… Perhaps it was because he knew the dangers ahead…

But then again, perhaps not.

After receiving Emperor Diaz's near fatal blast, for days he healed, gathered his strength, in order to confront the man who betrayed his trust. However, he was agitated, restless all the time because he couldn't forget the one whose trust **_he_** had betrayed.

Wink…

The disbelief on her face when he kidnapped Queen Theresea; the pain, the blood, the tears in her eyes as she blocked Dart's sword and fell toward him; and finally, just before she walked away, the resignation in her lovely features and the sadness in her countenance… Those images played in his head, over and over again, until he could no longer ignore them, and his mind relented to his heart in defeat.

He had to see her, had to explain… Although he had used her, it was never by design or intention. The two times he saved her… He just wanted to shield her from harm.

**_"I know."_**

Her soft voice jarred him out of his reverie. Surprised, he lifted his head and met her sapphire eyes.

"I know you saved me out of kindness, not malice." She spoke softly, but her voice was firm, "You couldn't have known who I was in Donau, yet you answered my plead for help anyway… I… I thank you."

Yes, deep in her heart she always knew, she was just afraid to trust her intuition…

Afraid to let her feelings run wild and rein her entire being.

Briefly, she wondered what else to say to him. She was so afraid of revealing too much of her heart, because he always seemed calm and distant, so out of reach.

It was then when he reached out, and grasped her hand in his own.

Wink absolutely startled, and for a moment could only stare down at their intertwined hands in wonder. His fingers were long and graceful; his touch was light, yet she could feel the power course through underneath his skin. Before she realized, his name escaped her lips in a soft whisper: "Lloyd…"

"I'm going to Mayfil."

Wink's eyes widened: _**"The death city?!"**_

"Yes." He pressed his lips together in a thin line, and she felt the tension in his hand, "The one who claimed to be Emperor Diaz, whoever he is, has to be stopped. And I will stop him." In almost a whisper to himself, he added: "I've been on the wrong side for long enough."

"But… but he is very powerful, is he not?" She felt stupid for asking such a question, but she couldn't stop herself from asking, hoping in vain he would deny.

He merely nodded to confirm: "He is, but he has to be stopped. And I will stop him."

"Lloyd…" She lowered her gaze, staring at their hands for a long time. Finally, she whispered: "You may not come back."

He couldn't deny the truth in her statement. "Perhaps. But if I don't confront him, the world will be destroyed." His lips twitched in a humorless smirk, "That's too high a price to pay for my stupidity."

"It wasn't your fault!" She shook her head and cried desperately, "You were only fighting for your ideals and placed your trust wrongly!"

"All the more reasons for me to confront him." He pointed out. World on the brink of destruction or not, his pride would never let him walk away after all that has happened.

Wink closed her eyes but couldn't stop the tears from escaping. One splashed onto his fingers, and another soon followed.

"Wink," Gently, he tipped her chin up and gazed into her pain-filled eyes, "I'm not afraid to die."

"I know…" Her voice broke, "But I am."

He didn't know what to say. Her admission touched him more than he wanted to admit, and it stirred a strong, foreign feeling in his heart.

Finally, Wink took a deep breath and gathered herself together. In a slightly more steady tone, she spoke again: "I… I know that you must go. I understand. But please…" She enfolded his hand in both of hers and pulled it toward her heart tightly, "Please, come back to me."

"Do you want me to?" He searched her face intently, asking more than what was apparent.

_Do you want to be with me? To get to know me, to love me…_

"Yes." And she knew.

Lloyd smiled. A rare, slight but sincere smile. Leaning over, he placed a light kiss on her forehead: "Then I will. Wait for me."

She nodded, closed her eyes and leaned into him.

Gently, Lloyd embraced her with his free arm, careful not to touch her injury. He marveled at her warmth, her soft curves, and the floral scent of her long, golden hair. Suddenly, his visions of a Utopia seemed foolish.

_This world really isn't such a bad place as I have imagined… She is neither hateful nor greedy, and accepts me willingly._

After some time, he released her and pulled back reluctantly: "I must go now. I can't delay any longer."

"I know." She swung her feet off the bed, not caring of the cold stone floor underneath her bare feet. "Let me see you off."

Lloyd nodded and walked toward the window. Standing in front of it, he suddenly stopped and turned around to face her. "Wink, I want you to have this."

He took off the charm around his neck and placed it on her soft palm, gently folding her fingers over it. "This belonged to my mother." He explained softly, "Keep it safe while I'm gone."

She blinked back the tears and nodded: "I will… Thank you." The emotions swirling inside her was too strong to repress, and too chaotic to sort. Her heart and her head both pounded, happy in the knowledge that she was important to him, and sad and fearful of his departure.

Overcame by her feelings, she couldn't help but throw her arms around his neck, pulling his head down and meeting his lips with her own in a scanting, parting kiss.

"Be safe, and come back to me." She murmured against his lips, her tears wetting his cheeks, "I can't be on my own anymore… I want to be with you, I can't lose you."

Lloyd didn't say anything, but when Wink finally drew back to look at him, the expression in his eyes struck her heart. No words were needed. Everything was clearly written in the depth of his eyes.

She ran her slender fingers through his beautiful platinum hair, as he wiped the tears on her cheek with his thumb.

"Go back to bed." He commanded softly, "You will freeze if you stand here any longer.

She nodded and forced herself to take two steps back. "Godspeed, and stay safe." She whispered.

Lloyd nodded. He turned around, lifted his arm to throw open the window, paused, and whirled around. Swiftly, he gathered her into his arms and kissed her the same way she had kissed him earlier, leaving her breathless and shaking in his arms.

"Emperor Diaz will be destroyed. I will see to it." He declared, kissed her one last time, and turned around.

Swiftly he threw open the window, jumped out and spread his wings. They glowed in the dark, illuminating her features as he held her gaze. He hovered there for a moment, and they sped away into the darkness.

When she couldn't see him anymore, Wink finally closed the window and crawled underneath her warm blankets once more. She clutched Lloyd's charm to her bosom and curled into a fetal position.

_Lloyd… I'll be waiting for you…_

**********

A/N:

I've always wanted to write a LoD fanfic after playing the game, as the storyline really intrigued me. I believe a great many questions were left unanswered at the end of the game, such as what happened to the Divine Tree, and what of Shana's soul, etc. Melbu Frahma will not be coming back, but Charle Frahma and some other Winglies will play an important part in the plot.

Also, this is going to contain Lloyd x Wink, Albert x Emille, Meru x Guaraha and of course, Dart x Shana. I might resurrect Rose to be the dark dragoon, since I absolutely hate writing original characters. However, Zieg is not coming back, as I really don't like him that much ^^|||| 


	2. The Beginning of the End

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**Rebellion Against Fate**

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**Chapter Two: The End of the Beginning**

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"Die!" Lloyd shouted in pure hatred as he charged toward Melbu Frahma, who hardly resembled a wingly at this point, and was definitely looking uglier than anything he had seen in a long while. 

The four tentacles hissed and tried to strike him, but he avoided each attack with graceful movements. Bulky as the Divine Dragoon Armor was, it was also surprisingly light, allowing him to move with unaffected agility.

"Over here!" He taunted, succeeding in angering Melbu Frahma further, and the self-appointed God of Destruction focused his entire effort on Lloyd, completely ignoring Dart and the other dragoons.

_**Now** would be a very time to join the fray!_ Lloyd thought as he spared a glance at the motionless group below in annoyance. _ Whatever the hell are they waiting for, written instructions?! _

Ah well, he could just do the work himself. With a cry, Lloyd channeled all of his energy into the Dragon Buster and flew toward Melbu Frahma, intend on striking his head.

"Annoying dragonfly!" Melbu Frahma hissed, a strange glare in his slanted eyes.

**_Shit!_** Lloyd recognized the danger with great alarm. But he was seconds too late. As he dodged the tentacles, he was completely unaware of the greater dangers hidden behind. He could only continue his descend in horror as a laser beam shot from Melbu Frahma's hand and struck him directly in his chest, penetrating his armor.

Unbearable pain consumed his entire body, the impact threw him back and he crashed to the ground with a thud. The dragon buster slipped out of his hand and landed several feet away. Lloyd tried to move toward it, but only succeeded in coughing up blood. 

Blackness swam on the edges of his vision, only his indomitable will prevented him from surrendering to the searing pain.

"Lloyd!" He heard Dart's voice as the blond man knelt beside him. Strangely, Melbu Frahma did not reach out to strike again. He probably didn't consider them a threat anyway, ascending into godhood as he was.

_Wink... Even if I cannot do it myself, she must be spared... Melbu Frahma ** must** die!_

"Here, take this!" He plucked the divine dragon spirit out of his armor and thrust it into Dart's hand.

"What is it?"

If Lloyd had any energy left, he would have rolled his eyes Dart's painfully unnecessary question.

_Am I really going to trust the fate of the world with them? Damn it all... No choice left, I suppose._

"It is the Dragoon Spirit of the Divine Dragon... And the Dragon Buster."

"Thank you, Lloyd." Dart obviously didn't know what to make of the turn of events, as he stared down at his former nemesis. 

"Don't get conceited," Lloyd snorted out a reply, "I just ended up here while I was pursuing my own ideal. It's not as if I want to help you in particular. His birth means the death of the world. Hurry up... stop him."

Dart nodded solemnly. Strangely, his gaze was reassuring. Thinking back to how far the Red-eyed Dragoon had actually came on his journey, Lloyd nodded in satisfaction.

"Farewell... people who confront the fate of Soa... " Gathering the last bit of energy in his battered body, Lloyd managed to teleport himself away from the battle scene.

**********

Lloyd hadn't managed to get far. With a strangled cry, he re-materialized and crashed to the ground, nearly fainting from the pain. His entire body was wrecked with spasms, but Lloyd forced his vision to focus and recognized his surroundings. 

_I'm still inside the moon..._

Sensing that there were no monsters in the immediate area, Lloyd closed his eyes and willed his body to heal.

_If the Dragoons fail, I must go back to aid them... And if they succeed, I must get out of here alive. Wink...She's waiting for me. I can't die!_

Never before had Lloyd wanted so much to be alive. Firm in his purpose, he focused on the regeneration of his badly broken body. The magic in his Wingly blood rushed to answer his call, and gradually the pain inside his chest began to lose some of its sharp edges. Directing the magic to course through his body, he willed his bones and torn flash to mend.

Finally, Lloyd managed to climb to his feet shakily. But as soon as he'd done that, the ground shook violently, sending him flat on his back once again.

_What's going on? Did they succeed?_

As if answering his question, several comet-like light sped over his head with alarming speed. In their haste to escape, no one noticed the crumpled figure on the ground below. Huge rocks began to fall, everything was crashing down.

"We gotta hurry! Melbu Frahma and this whole place's gonna blow up!" As the dragoons flew overhead, Lloyd's superior hearing caught the voice of the happy-go-lucky Blue Sea Dragoon.

_They killed him! Time to get out here!_

Desperation alone gave him the energy to stand. Pale blue wings burst out from his back and he lifted himself off the splitting ground, trailing after the dragoons, swiftly dodging the flying boulders. 

Almost there... He could see the light ahead, getting bigger and brighter...

Suddenly, a loud explosion resonated behind him and waves of heat rushed out toward him. The moon exploded into pieces, its force tossed Lloyd outward like a broken doll, knocked him unconscious and sent him plummeting into the waters below.

**********

Pain.

Darkness.

Freezing cold.

Sound of waves meeting the shore, a salty taste...

_Where am I? Why can't I move? Why can't I see anything? Am I... _

_ Dead?_

"We must do something! Or he's going to die very soon!"

A voice, somehow familiar...

_Rose?!_

"But what can be done? Neither your Black-Burst Dragon nor my Red-Eyed Dragon possess any healing power!"

_The Red Dragoon... Dart, no, Zieg!_

"There is something we can try..."

"What?"

"Astral Drain."

"Draw energy from my dragon spirit and send it into his body?" A thoughtful pause, "Yeah, that's worth a try."

"Ready then?" Another pause, and then-

"Astral Drain!"

Life force washed over him and dissipated into his body, suddenly it was warmer, easier to breathe.

"There. It's not much, but it'll keep him alive."

With great difficulty, Lloyd lifted his heavy lids and looked up, his cracked lips forming words: "Rose... Zieg."

The two ancient Dragoons smiled down at him. But something was different about them. They seemed... eternal.

Lloyd managed to struggle to his feet, not really trusting his eyes: "You two are..."

"Dead. Yes." Zieg answered him, "You are lucky that we spotted you when we did. Any longer, and our souls would no longer be able to wield the power of the dragon spirits."

Lloyd regarded the two ghosts in front of him: "Why are you helping me?"

"Because you helped us. And because in your heart, you are a Dragoon too." Rose answered softly, smiling a bit, "_When Dragoons meet, blood will flow._"

"_And when they leave, time will slow._" Zieg finished and took Rose's hand in his, "A new journey awaits us. Farewell, wielder of the divine dragon spirit."

A bright light encased the ghostly figures of the two ancient dragoons, forcing Lloyd to close his eyes. When the light faded and he reopened his eyes, they were gone.

Only two orbs, one red and one dark, lay quietly in the sand. Beside them, an ornate sword handle lay half buried.

Lloyd picked it up and buckled it to his belt. 

_The Dragon Buster..._

"Zieg, Rose... thank you." Lloyd whispered, and turned to drag himself away from the desolate beach. He didn't have the energy to fly yet, and every movement still made his body cry out in pain. But he was alive, and he was heading back to the one waiting for his return.

_Wink... I hope you are all right._

As Lloyd made his way toward Mille Seseau, little did he suspect that trouble was brewing beyond the Kashua Glacier, about to unleash a chain of events which would shake the foundation of the entire planet.

**********

A/N:

Hmm, okay. The ghost thing is a bit stretched... But I figured, if all the dead dragoons can appear in Vellweb and attack with their dragon magic, then technically, Zieg and Rose could aid Lloyd before they passed on. Not to mention, the ghost of Shirley was the one who gave Dart her dragon spirit, so they must be able to control the orbs to a certain extent... At least that's my theory anyway.

This chapter concluded my recount of the events at the end of the game. I'm afraid I made Dart look like a moron in this chapter but uh... It was told from Lloyd's POV and I believe he _did_ think Dart was a moron. In future chapters there will not be anymore Dart bashing, hopefully. I do adore the guy, although some of his dialogues are a bit stupid. I blame it on the writers though. As a playable character, he wasn't that bad at all.

Next chapter, new problems will arise and wrack havoc in Deningrad, the ancient birth city of Winglies. 


	3. Awakened Destruction

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**Rebellion Against Fate**

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**Chapter Three: Awakened Destruction**

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"Wink?" Miranda walked into the room and placed herself down on the sofa, directly facing her sister who sat on the other end, "You've been awfully quiet these two days."

Such is Miranda's painfully roundabout way of saying that she was concerned. Wink drew her gaze away from the window and met her gaze, smiling slightly: "Was I? I'm sorry, I haven't noticed."

Miranda frowned. Wink looked pale and haggard, without a trace of the usual liveliness in her blue eyes. Instead, her eyes seemed haunted, strikingly deep and dark against her white skin, full of sadness. Equally alarming was the bags underneath her eyes as a testimony to her lack of sleep. 

"What happened?" Miranda demanded, "We saved the world, Wink! We even blew up a goddamned moon! What the hell is there to worry now?!"

"Miranda...I'm not worried about anything, really." Wink bit her lips, trying hard not to lose what little composure she held. 

_The moon blew up... Oh gods, Lloyd..._

"Don't give me that bull, Wink." Miranda said sharply, "You are _** not**_ alright, and you are definitely worried about something. Now tell me what is wrong!"

Wink could no longer keep the tears from rolling down her cheeks. She was too tired, too sad to hide it any longer, and Miranda was being persistent. Wordlessly, she reached around her neck to unfasten the clasp, pulling Lloyd's pendent out from underneath her collar and handing it to Miranda.

Miranda took it from her curiously. Her eyes narrowed as she examined the charm in her palm: "I've seen this before, somewhere..."

Her back suddenly stiffened as she finally recognized it. She glanced at Wink in astonishment: "Wink... This is Lloyd's pendent, isn't it?"

Wink, who was openly crying now, could only nod in affirmation.

Miranda abruptly stood and all but towered over her younger sister: "Wink! How... When did you get this? _**Why** _do you have this?"

"Three nights ago, Lloyd came to see me..." Wink fought to keep her voice steady, "He gave it to me, before he went to Mayfil."

She turned her head away and braced herself for Miranda's berate. To her surprise, no shouting and yelling came her way. Miranda handed the charm back to her, the expression on her face was not one of rage, but one of thoughtfulness: "The few times I've seen Lloyd, he always wore this pendent... He probably did care about you, if he gave it to you."

Wink was stunned by Miranda's unusual behavior, but the surprise could not overwhelm her sadness. Fresh tears formed in her eyes as she thought back to that night, to the expression on Lloyd's face as he gave her the charm. Such intensity in his eyes, such tenderness...

"He..." Wink choked back a sob, burying her face in her delicate hands. Her voice was muffled but exceedingly pained: "He said he would come back to me..."

Miranda was silent for a long time, standing in front of Wink as she wept. Finally, when the storm of tears seemed to pass, Miranda spoke again: "You know... Lloyd wasn't really all that bad. I... well, I never told you the details of that battle. Do you want to know?"

Wink thought about it, took a deep breath and nodded: "Yes Miranda... Tell me."

"As you know, Zieg turned out to be possessed by Melbu Frahma. He finally emerged and replaced Shana in the Virage Embryo. That was when Lloyd appeared, as a dragoon in the Divine Dragon Armor."

Miranda took a deep breath and sat down again, continuing in a quiet tone: "Lloyd attacked Melbu Frahma, while the rest of us stood there, gaping in shock. He was doing an admirable job at it, until a laser beam from Melbu Frahma caught him unaware. I think... He was struck near the heart, and he crashed down to the ground, unable to maintain his dragoon form anymore."

"Oh, Lloyd..." Wink whispered, her heart breaking all over again as she was told the story. But she brushed her tears aside and nodded to Miranda bravely, asking her to go on. It was more painful than anything she'd experienced, but she wanted to know... She **_ needed_** to know. 

She wanted to be able to honor his memories. 

"Lloyd gave the divine dragon spirit and the dragon buster to Dart, and asked him to stop Melbu Frahma, before he... well, you know." Miranda shifted in her seat uncomfortably, and lowered her gaze to the floor. In a much quieter tone, she added: "He wasn't really a bad guy after all, and he helped us more than I expected... He weakened Melbu Frahma considerably, making it easier for us to destroy those blasted tentacles, and Dart was only able to blast the Virage Embryo apart with the divine dragon canon."

She paused, and then added ruefully: "I don't think I will ever like him. He did kidnap Queen Theresea after all. But... I do wish he is still alive."

"I wish that too..." Wink clutched Lloyd's pendent tightly in her hands, as if drawing strength from it. "Miranda... Thank you, for telling me everything. I needed to know."

The First Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau only nodded.

Wink studied her profile. Hesitantly, she ventured: "You... seem a bit different."

An ironic smile graced Miranda's lips. "I had a lot to think about, when we were on the moon." She sighed and walked over to the window, glancing out at the sunny sky, "You know... We could have all died. It was only with the greatest luck that we gathered all the dragoon spirits, made it through Aglis, Zenebatos, Mayfil... And all the way to the Divine Tree and the moon. I still can't believe we actually defeated a god and made it out of there alive. It made some other things seem rather... trivial."

Wink finally smiled. A small, sincere smile, rejoicing in Miranda's newly found peace. "I'm sure you are right." She replied softly.

Miranda stood up and gave her a pointed look: "It also does nobody any good to lock yourself in the room and mope." She walked toward the door and called over her shoulder: "I'm going to ask the cook to make something for you, and you better eat it. You are _**not**_ going to waste away in your room!"

**********

Miranda might seem more sensitive and less temperamental now, but she certainly wasn't getting any less persistent. Under her watchful eyes, Wink ate and took a much-needed nap. Some colors came back to her pale cheeks and Miranda, finally satisfied, left her to her solitude. 

However, night soon came and Wink found that sleep was eluding her once again. Deep in her heart, she still couldn't believe Lloyd was dead, even after Miranda's recount of the events in detail. She vividly remembered the night he came to her. She fingered the pendent around her throat and recalled his words:

_Wait for me._

She did, but he wasn't coming back.

Wink walked up to the window and threw it wide open, gazing out to the dark horizon sorrowfully. Time would make everything better. She was told again and again in events of despair, yet at this moment, she questioned the truth of the statement. She never thought it possible to grow so attached to someone, in such a short time.

Nevertheless, this was the case.

Suddenly, Wink's eyes spotted something in the corner of her vision. Turning her head slightly, she looked curiously at a pulsating spark which appeared on the horizon. The bright, multi-colored light glowed stronger with every pulse, and expanded in size. It soon formed the shape of a column of sort, standing upright and shimmering against the backdrop of the night sky.

_What can that be?_ Wink squinted, trying to identify the source of that curious light. _It's coming from beyond the Kashua Glacier… How strange._

As Wink watched in fascination, the column of light suddenly vanished, only to appear again seconds later, closer this time. It shimmered, vanished, and then appeared a third time, this time almost on the edge of the glacier, and illuminated Deningrad in a faint rainbow of light.

Wink had no time to ponder about its existence anymore. Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently, causing her to lose her balance. She cried out in alarm, skid across the entire room, and landed in an graceless heap near the door.

_An earthquake?! What is going on?_

Wink scrambled out of her room, dashing for the stairs. Everything seemed to be shaking, spinning… Knights and servants alike were frantically running in all directions. In the chaos, Wink nearly collided into another petite, feminine figure.

"Setie!" She grabbed onto the youngest Sacred Sister, steadying them both, "Where is Luanna?"

"I don't know!" Setie's eyes were wide and frantic as she sobbed, "I can't get to her room, the path is blocked! I don't know where she is!"

"And Queen Theresea?"

"She hasn't retired when I went to my chamber… She might be in the throne room still!"

Wink paled and pushed Setie toward the stairs: "Go! Get out of the castle before it collapses!"

"What about you?"

"I'm going to find Miranda! She can save Queen Theresea!" Wink knew for a fact that Miranda would be in her training room. She was always the one to stay up the latest. Gathering her skirts, Wink ran toward the North Wing.

Very soon, she spotted Miranda, clad in her dragoon armor, her hair flying about her shoulders in disarray.

"Wink! What are you doing?" Miranda grabbed her arms, "Come, I'm going to get you out of here!"

"No, I can still make it by using the stairs." Wink shouted back, "Go save Queen Theresea and Luanna! Setie believes Theresea is still in the throne room, and Luanna might be trapped in her quarters!"

Miranda led out a string of curses. "All right! Just be careful!" She pushed Wink toward the great stairs and then flew upward to the throne room.

Wink scrambled down the stairs. She fell twice and scraped her elbows and knees, and the sword wound on her back started to ache again. But pain was overwhelmed by fear, and she scarcely felt anything as she pushed her body forward, fueled on by her survivor instincts.

She managed to make her way down to the ground floor safely. However, just as she moved into the Great Hall, the front entrance collapsed with a violent shudder, completely blocking her escape route.

The thought of going to the back of the castle and try the kitchen entrance vaguely crossed Wink's mind. However, she had no time to examine the practicability of her idea. Not five feet away, a giant bulk of crystal fell from the ceiling, crashed to the ground with a deafening thud, and the rush of air knocked Wink off her feet.

It could have crushed her… She was trapped; the next one might crash her… Frightened by the reality of her situation, Wink shielded her head with her arm and screamed as debris continued to rain down all around her. In her hysterics, she didn't notice Lloyd's silver engraved pendent suddenly flare with magical energy, issuing a call in the form of a bright rays of light.

And it was answered almost immediately.

A sudden heat wave from above, accompanied by a loud crash, caught Wink's attention. Her head snapped up and she gasped as a fireball blasted one of the high windows to pieces. In a rain of shattered glasses, a black figure burst through the broken window, and dived down at her without a pause.

Wink didn't even have time to react. Suddenly she was hovering at least ten feet above the ground, suspended in midair by a pair of strong arms around her slim waist. Instinctively she grabbed onto the arms that held her. Only then did she dare to look up, and to her greater surprise, she was looking straight into the handsome face of a man she thought dead.

"L-Lloyd!"

The dark Wingly nodded, shifting his balance so he could hold her with one arm. The other drew his sword and its blade flared to life. "Hold onto me." He glanced around warily, "We have to get out of here now."

Wink nodded, instinctively tightening her hold on him, her mind going overload with shock.

Lloyd made a strange sign in the air and chanted softly under his breath. Another ball of flame appeared and he slammed it into the far wall with his Dragon Buster. A large hole immediately appeared. Cradling Wink carefully and shielding her with his body, he flew out of the crumbling castle at top speed and didn't stop until they were hovering above the Evergreen Forest. Only then did he dare to stop and turn around.

"Oh my god…" Wink could only clutch onto Lloyd's arms for dear life, shivering in his embrace as she watched, wide-eyed, at the sight of Deningrad.

The multi-colored column of light she saw earlier appeared again, this time it shot up skyward from the ground directly underneath Deningrad, and completely enveloping the city within seconds.

Rocks and trees were lifted off the ground and swirled upward as if in a hurricane, houses were torn apart, the castle shattered like a toy model. The great column of light suddenly burned white, and in a burst of liquid flames, everything Wink held dear disappeared in its dazzling radiance.

**********

A/N:

So, ah... No more Deningrad o_O I'm really sorry to end the chapter here, but I promise, at least some of this mess will be explained in the next chapter. 

Miranda is less bitchy now, which probably is a good thing because Meru will be making her appearance next chapter. And in case you are wondering, no, Wink is _**not**_ going to become a dragoon. I'm not going to install any new dragoons beyond the original ones, and making Wink the dark dragoon is as absurd (IMO) as Lloyd dancing a jig on Albert's dinner table. So... most likely, the line up will be as follows:

Divine Dragoon - Lloyd  
Red-Eye Dragoon - Dart   
Jade Dragoon - Albert   
Violet Dragoon - Haschel   
Blue Sea Dragoon - Meru   
Golden Dragoon - Kongol   
White-Silver Dragoon - Miranda   
Dark Dragoon - Rose (?) 

And if I decide to let poor Rose to rest in peace with Zieg, her replacement will be Lenus. Uh, yeah, _**that**_ Lenus. Let me know what you guys think, please! 


	4. Birth City Deningrad

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**Rebellion Against Fate**

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**Chapter Four: Birth City Deningrad**

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"Close your eyes!" Lloyd commanded urgently as he lowered himself to the ground, and pulled Wink to face away from the brilliant light, further shielding her eyes with his hand. He knew that human eyes were much more fragile than Wingly's, and staring at something of this intensity would render her blind.

"Lloyd…" Wink whimpered in his arms, not believing what she had witnessed. Her home, her friends, her sisters, Queen Theresea…

"Shh." Lloyd merely tightened his arms around her, his face grim as he waited for the light to cease. At the moment, the entire forest was bathed in the white light, making it eerily brighter than day.

Finally, that horrible column of light decreased in its intensity, becoming dimmer and dimmer, allowing the forest to be once again covered by the darkness of night. When Lloyd thought it was safe to look, he finally released Wink, allowing her to turn around.

Almost numbly, Wink stared wide-eyed at the direction of Deningrad. She couldn't find a trace of the luminous green structure that she came to know as her home. Shocked beyond words, all energy left her body and she sank down to the ground in despair.

Lloyd caught her elbows and swiftly, albeit gently, pulled her to her feet. "Wink," He frowned in worry, "Are you alright?"

She stared back at him, still wearing that shell-shocked expression on her pale face. He watched as she drew a few deep breaths, and finally, the fire of her will flashed behind her tears once again.

"Lloyd…" She held his wrists in a death grip, trying desperately to steady her voice, "There… there might be survivors still. Will you take me back?"

He nodded, admiring her bravery when faced such a devastating and completely unexpected event. His brows furrowed slightly as he formed several theories to the cause of it in his mind. However, it was not the right time to ponder on these things, not yet.

Carefully, he gathered Wink into his arms, and lifted himself off the ground. He was no more than ten feet in the air when he suddenly frowned, dropped back down quickly and folded his wings back.

"Lloyd? What-"

"Shh!" He pulled her against a tree, hiding in the shadows and whispering urgently, "I hear winglies approach."

Sure enough, very soon Wink also heard voices approaching. One chirpy female voice rose above others, and it sounded vaguely familiar to Wink.

"Guaraha, hurry up! People's lives might depend on us!"

Lloyd sighed wearily and drew Wink out of their hiding place: "It's only the Blue Sea Dragoon. I guess there is no harm in meeting them." He secured Wink in his arms and rose to intercept the two younger winglies.

Only Lloyd's incredible reflexes prevented a bodily collision with Meru, who scarcely paid any attention to her surroundings. Coming to an abrupt halt, Meru's jaw dropped open unceremoniously as she recognized whom she almost bumped into.

"Lloyd! You are alive!"

Lloyd barely had time to nod as Meru's gaze shifted to Wink, her mouth moving almost as fast as her eyes: "And you are Miranda's sister! You name is Wink right? You remember me, I'm Meru! Lloyd, why are you here with Wink? What happened to Deningrad? Where is Miranda? Hey… Hey! Wait for me!"

Lloyd paid her no heed and flew on. As he expected, Meru and her companion soon caught up. The young Wingly hovered about him anxiously, and it was Wink who finally answered her. "I don't know what happened either… I was in the castle when I saw a strange column of light coming toward us, and suddenly there was this violent earthquake… I was trapped inside the castle, but Lloyd came and saved me. Miranda… She was trying to save Her Majesty and Luanna, I don't know if she…"

"Aw, hey! Don't worry! Miranda is tough, I'm sure she's okay!" Meru said with great conviction, causing Wink's ashen face to brighten slightly. And for that, Lloyd decided to be grateful for Meru's otherwise irritating presence.

The small group approached the debris of Deningrad, when Lloyd's sensitive hearing caught a voice that sounded distinctively like the First Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau. He changed direction and led the group toward its source.

Soon, Miranda's voice became distinguishable: "Dammit, keep looking! She couldn't have… I refuse to believe I lost her as well!"

"Miranda!" Wink cried out.

Miranda whirled around sharply at the sound of her voice. Still clad in her dragoon armor, she flew up easily to meet them: "Wink, you are safe! And Meru!"

Only then did she recognize the wingly who carried her sister in his arms, and she gasped in surprise: "Lloyd! You are alive!"

"Yes, that much is painfully apparant." Lloyd muttered dryly, exasperated by hearing the same remark twice in a roll.

Miranda narrowed her eyes. However, Wink spoke up at the moment, preventing a fight from escalating: "Miranda, where are the others? Are they alright?"

Miranda's expression changed abruptly as she lowered her gaze: "No Wink… I'm sorry. Her Majesty wasn't in the throne room, and I couldn't find her. I found Luanna, but she was already dead, crushed in her room. And Setie…" Her usually strong voice quivered, "Setie just passed away."

Wink led out a strangled gasp, her sob choked in her throat. Gods, everyone is...

"No…" She turned her face onto Lloyd's shoulder to hide her tears and sorrow. The last thing she wanted at the moment was to make Miranda feel guiltier than she already was.

Lloyd's expression was graver than usual, but his gesture was gentle as he touched Wink's hair lightly, lowering them both to the ground.

Miranda and Meru followed suite. For once, the hyperactive Blue Sea Dragoon was quiet, sobered by the tragedy her friends suffered. Unconsciously holding Guaraha's hand, and with surprising maturity, she asked Miranda: "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"We are still digging through the debris for survivors." Miranda answered wearily, "Although, I doubt anyone would still be alive. Whatever that freakish light was, it **_burned_**. And it covered the city completely." She paused thoughtfully, and made a decision: "No, concentrate on those who are still alive. You winglies have healing magic, don't you? We rounded about thirty survivors, most of them are injured one way or another. Two of them are very severely burned, fighting for their lives as we speak."

"Let's help them then!" Meru dug out an orb from her pocket, "I have my dragon spirit with me. The ice will probably be useful."

Wink made a move to follow them, but Lloyd pulled her back: "Tend your own injuries first, else you will only get in the way."

Miranda turned around sharply: "Wink! Are you hurt?"

"I'm alright… Just some minor scratches." As soon as the words left her mouth, she began to feel faint from exhaustion and loss of blood, and became aware of the burning sensation on her back. "I think… I might have reopened my wound…"

Miranda frowned in concern, but Lloyd made a gesture for her to continue on. "Do whatever you have to, I'll take care of Wink."

Miranda's frown only deepened upon hearing his words, but Wink readily agreed, and she had no choice but concede defeat.

"Fine." She spat, "But don't you take advantage of her!"

"Miranda!" Wink cried.

Lloyd merely snorted, pulling Wink away from the group. He led her to a secluded corner and sat her down on a fallen tree trunk. Lloyd lit an abandoned torch with his magic, helped her to take off her jacket, and then turned away from her.

"When you are ready, let me look at your wound."

"Ok." Wink whispered weakly. With a deep blush, she unbuttoned her cloth and stripped down to her waist, wincing from the pain. She gathered the fabric in her hands to cover her chest, and said quietly: "I'm ready."

Lloyd walked behind her and knelt down, examining her wound. After a moment, he held his hand above the wound and allowed his bluish magic to flow between them. Under his watchful eyes, the wound slowly closed. When satisfied that the bleeding has completely stopped, Lloyd withdrew his magic.

He attended to her other minor injuries after she redressed. With her permission, he torn the hem off her skirts and made makeshift bandages.

Wink watched him as he dressed her scraped knee silently. She was so overcame by shock and grief from the destruction of her beloved home, but now sitting here with Lloyd by her side, a surge of relief and happiness hit her quiet unexpectedly.

Despite everything that has happened, Lloyd was here. 

He saved her life again. He was alive. He came back to her.

Wink placed a slender hand on his broad shoulder. He glanced up at her questioningly.

"I wish that… this is all under happier circumstances. But… I'm so glad you are alive!" She told him in a voice full of emotions.

Lloyd smiled lightly: "I told you I would come back to you."

"But how? Miranda said that you… She saw you…"

"It was a close call." He admitted ruefully, "But I wasn't dead. I merely transported myself away after I gave the divine dragon spirit to Dart."

She nodded. Not wanting to think about how close he came to death, she asked another question: "How did you manage to find me when you did?"

Lloyd reached over and touched the pendent on her throat. "This charm contains Wingly magic. The magic resonates with mine when I seek it, and it led me to you."

His expression darkened as he thought back to the look of terror on her face when he spotted her, with stones falling all around her, half of them large enough to crush her frail body to death instantly. "I barely made it in time… If I was a little late, you could have-"

She shook her head and leaned down to embrace him: "I'm just glad you found me. It was so sudden, and everything went so horrible… Do you have any idea what that light was?"

"I don't know." Lloyd admitted, "But, I do have some suspicion to **_why_** it chose to appear here."

He finished dressing her wounds and stood up, pulling her to her feet. "Come, let's go find your sister and the others… This can be very serious, and it's probably a good idea to involve all your dragoon friends."

**********

Dawn was breaking over the horizon when all of the survivors from Deningrad were properly treated and taken care of. A fire was built and all the wounded citizens gathered around to rest. A little further away, out of hearing range, a much smaller group can be spotted.

Lloyd sat on a boulder, one leg crossed underneath another in a seemingly relaxed manner. Wink sat by his side, her beautiful face pale and tired, as she leaned on him lightly for support.

To the couple's left, Meru and her fiancé sat on the ground, side by side, each with legs crossed at the ankle. Opposite them, and to the couple's right was Miranda, leaning against a tree with arms crossed in front of her chest.

She was the first one to speak: "Any idea what the hell happened?"

"Maybe someone was controlling that light?" Guaraha suggested.

"But who?" Miranda threw back, "Who is strong enough to wield that kind of power? Although, I wouldn't be that surprised if it was an ancient grudge of some Winglies. Deningrad is the only old Wingly city occupied by humans."

Lloyd and Meru shook their heads at the same time. Meru was the first to speak: "None of the Winglies alive hold so much power. Certainly not Ancestor Blano. Malbu Frahma, maybe, but he bit the dust."

"To wield such a vast amount of energy would take at least Charle Frauma and Faust together." Lloyd continued, "And that's one alliance I cannot conceive."

"We killed Faust anyway." Miranda muttered, flicking a thread of hair out of her face impatiently, "Who else could be responsible? And why?"

"You forget what Deningrad used to be." Lloyd answered, "It was the birth city of all winglies."

"Yeah, so?"

Lloyd shot her an irritated look: "Under Melbu Frahma, winglies controlled life and death with magic. Melbu Frahma drew a tremendous amount of magic from the crystal sphere, which contained the soul of the God of Destruction, as you know, and channeled the energy to Deningrad, to ensure every generation of winglies produce strong magic users."

Wink bit her lips: "And that energy… It is still here today?"

"A considerable amount." Lloyd's lips twisted into a humorless smile, "Those infants who were deemed weak magic users were killed. They were tossed into a reactor in the basement of the castle, where what little magic they possessed was utilized."

Wink looked striken and shuddered: "Utilized…?"

"Used as fuel – to keep the city floating." Lloyd clarified succinctly.

"That's- that's sick! How can anyone be so **_twisted_**?!" Miranda spluttered in disbelief and disgust.

Meru looked away in shame. "We were a pretty demented bunch before the Dragon Campaign…" She muttered.

Miranda silently agreed but with a rare sensitivity, decided not to voice that particular thought aloud. Instead she turned to Lloyd again and asked: "So you are saying, this magic force, this reactor… Is, **_was_** still in Deningrad?"

Lloyd nodded: "When the signet spheres were made, wingly cities lost their ability to float. During its descend to the ground, Deningrad's magic reactor was lost, buried deep underneath the foundation of the castle, still containing the magic energy extracted from thousands of infant Wingly souls. That light… most likely it absorbed the magic energy, which caused a disturbance in the dormant reactor, and the thing exploded, taking the whole city with it."

"And how did you know all of this?" Guaraha asked, frowning slightly, "None of us were told about Deningrad's history in detail."

"I've read my father's records in his lab." Lloyd's amber eyes narrowed slightly, "And, I was one of the winglies born in Deningrad."

"Is that why your magic is stronger than ours?" Meru asked curiously.

"Part of the reason, yes."

"Oh…" She trailed off, not sure whether she should feel glad or disappointed. She wanted to have stronger magical abilities, but the idea of being tossed into a reactor as fuel if she was unlucky… well, not very appealing.

Her train of thought was interrupted when Miranda straightened and started pacing back and forth.

"This is serious… and unforgivable! Whoever did this is strong, and I want him dead!" She turned to the group, her eyes flashing, "We have to find the others, Dart, Albert, Haschel and Kongol."

"Guaraha and I can fly to Sardio." Meru offered, "Seles and Bale are close, I can notify Dart and Albert both."

"I will go to Rogue then. It's closer, and shouldn't take long by boat. And, I can also escort all the survivors to Ferni along the way." Miranda pondered, casting a glance at Lloyd, "What are we to do with him?"

"**_You_**, are not going to do anything with **_me_**." Lloyd replied coldly, standing up, "I will be heading to Ulara."

Miranda narrowed her eyes, a little suspicious: "Why?"

"Charle Frahma is almost the oldest Wingly alive, and no doubt the strongest. She might know something." Lloyd didn't tell her that he had an uncanny feeling this whole incident was somehow related to the destruction of the moon. He needed more time to think.

"Let me go with you." Wink spoke quietly but resolutely.

"Wink-" Miranda began to protest, but Wink looked steadily back at her and shook her head slowly, and Miranda fell silent, not knowing what to say.

The Third Sacred Sister turned to Lloyd and sought his hand with her slender fingers: "Lloyd, please."

"Very well." He concurred willingly after a moment of thought, "I don't even know what we are up against. It should be safer for you in Ulara than Ferni anyway."

Miranda sighed and walked away, throwing her hands up in frustration and muttering to herself, "Of all the men in the world, Wink, you had to fall in love with **_that_** wingly!"

**********

A/N:

Next chapter, Miranda gathers Haschel and Kongol from Rogue, Meru journeys to Sardio to inform Dart and Albert of the tragic events in Deningrad, and Lloyd travels to Ulara with Wink. Charle Frahma has quite a surprise in store for the Third Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau, while Emille and Shana each face tough decisions and challenges.


	5. Gathering of the Chosen

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**Rebellion Against Fate**

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**Chapter Five: Gathering of the Chosen**

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Once respective destinations were determined, and a decision to meet back at Ulara was made, no one felt like staying at the site of destruction any longer than necessary. After a short trip back to the forest to gather their supplies for the journey, Meru and Guaraha immediately headed southeast toward Sardio. Miranda waited until the sun was up, and then roused all the survivors, leading them into the Evergreen Forest.

Wink lingered in front of Setie's grave for a moment, gazing sadly toward where the palace used to stand.

"Queen Theresa and Luanna… They are still in there, under all the debris, without a proper resting place…" She whispered, her voice broke and she buried her face in her hands, her frail shoulders shaking with grief.

Lloyd gathered her small frame into his arms. "There is nothing you can do here," He said practically, but not without kindness, "Come, let's head to Ulara. We will get to the bottom of this, I promise."

Wink nodded weakly, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. Acting on impulse, she threw her arms around Lloyd's neck and hugged him tightly, drawing strength from his embrace.

They stayed together like that for some time, and then slowly released each other, parting slightly. Lloyd lifted Wink into his arms, and not for the first time, felt a wave of protectiveness wash over him. She was so slender, so frail, her weight almost negligible in his arms. After making sure she was comfortable and secure, he rose into the air and took off toward the Death Frontier.

Lloyd flew with such steady grace that Wink soon fell into an exhausted slumber in his arms. When Lloyd landed on a cliff overlooking the city of Ulara an hour later, she was fast asleep, her head turned toward his chest, her breathing deep and even.

Lloyd debated with himself for a moment. Deciding he could afford to wait, he flew around the area, found a shaded, flat area underneath one of the cliffs, and landed there gently.

With great care, he slowly placed Wink on the ground. For a moment, he remained there, crouching, gazing at her beautiful face. Brushing a few loose golden locks out of her face, he sat down next to her, leaning against the stone and pulling her head into his lap. She stirred slightly but did not wake. Instead, she curled her body around him and led out a small, content sigh. Lloyd smiled faintly. Absent-mindedly; he began stroking her hair and shoulder lightly as he gazed into distance.

He was neither a naïve nor a stupid man, and would be kidding himself if he believed this to be an easy matter to settle. No… Whatever was the force that destroyed Deningrad to acquire the buried energy, it was powerful, deadly, unknown in its appearance, unpredictable in its actions, and it bears Soa's will.

Clearly, world destruction did not end with the death of Melbu Frahma. Could the dragoons- and him- really defy the will of their ultimate Creator?

And the irony of this whole sordid business did not escape his attention either. For the last three years, he used, manipulated, fought and destroyed, for the very thing that he vowed to prevent now.

But he was used too. Manipulated into thinking he was bringing a blessing into the world, thought he was creating the magnificent Utopia in his vision… 

No more! Now he understood, peace and love could not be constructed, but could only be worked for, and earned.

This time he would make sure he start on the right path, and stay on it. If that means fighting Soa himself, so shall it be.

Unconsciously, he sought Wink's soft hand, and held it in his, letting the warmth and life flow between them.

"I'm the master of my own fate," He murmured, "Damn anyone who tells me otherwise!"

**********

Miranda was not a happy woman right now. And a pissed off Miranda often made choices she came to regret. At the moment, it was her decision to abandon the boat and fly rest of the way to Rogue.

What the **_hell_** had she been thinking- she was no dragon or wingly. Dragoon armor was not meant for traveling, and she was exhausted not long after she took off. The worst part was, she realized her mistake too late. It was a waste to turn back and look for the boat, and she couldn't very well stop and rest in the middle of the ocean. The only realistic choice was to grit her teeth and continue on.

Therefore, it was little wonder that she literally crashed into Haschel's practice yard, landing in an ungraceful heap at Kongol's feet.

"Miranda!" The giganto exclaimed, grabbing her by the wings of her armor and lifting her to her feet as if she was a doll, "Miranda, visit Haschel and Kongol?"

"Ah, Miranda! How nice for you to drop by!" Haschel walked over, chuckling, "However, you did it more literally than I expected."

"Kongol, let go of my wings!" Miranda wiggled out of the giganto's grasp. In a flash of silver light, her armor disappeared. She flicked a strand of hair out of her eyes impatiently, "I'm not here to chat. Deningrad was destroyed."

"Huh?" Haschel blinked, uncomprehending.

"Deningrad, the entire city gone, destroyed! Queen Theresa was killed, everyone was dead!" She brushed away her tears angrily, "I need your help. I want the bastard dead!"

"Ah yes, of course." Haschel replied automatically, his mind racing, "I'm- I'm sorry. How did it happen? Who did it?"

"We don't know, but whoever it was, we didn't stand a chance. That's why we need you two."

"We?"

"Meru and Guaraha came over to help, my sister Wink is also alive… Lloyd saved her."

Haschel did a double take: "**_Lloyd_**?!"

"Yes. He is alive. Apparently he is on our side- if you can believe that. He took Wink to Ulara, while Meru went to inform Dart and Albert, and I came for you guys."

"I see…" Haschel exhaled slowly, "This is almost too much excitement for an old guy like me."

"But you will come with me?" Miranda demanded.

"Of course. Who am I to refuse a pretty lady?" He smirked slightly, "But, have some compassion for my old bones, let us go by boat to Ferni."

Miranda turned to the other dragoon: "Kongol?"

"Kongol go with Miranda." A large hand patted her shoulder sympathetically, "Kongol avenge Miranda's friends."

"Thanks big guy." Miranda allowed a small smile to grace her lips.

"Alright. Let's go prepare a boat." Haschel started leading them toward the house, "Tell us more about it on the way, Miranda. I'll grab a couple bottles of that Tiberoa wine I've been saving… Could always get more from Albert, and I think you may need it."

"Do. A couple glasses would do me a world of good." Miranda muttered, "Did you know- Lloyd is in love with Wink? I could end up getting that wingly for a **_brother_**."

Haschel blinked: "Come again?"

**********

"Dart, Shana! What a wonderful surprise!" Queen Emille looked up as the door opened and exclaimed, "How are you two doing?"

"We are good. We came to visit Lavitz's mother, and decided to stop by." Dart looked around, "Where is Albert? Don't tell me- he locked himself in the study again?"

"Oh no!" Emille laughed, "He is in his study, but he only went there to fetch something for me… He should be back momentarily."

Just then, the King of Sardio walked in. He was twirling an object in his hand, and said in an airy tone, "Darling, I can't find it… Maybe your father took it on his last visit? But I think this article will suffice for our purpose."

"What is it, Albert? Relic to ward off unwelcome guests?" Dart chuckled, amused by the young king's inattention.

Albert looked up, startled, and then beamed widely: "Dart, Shana! I didn't see you there… What a pleasant surprise!" He came over in great strides and shook their hands vigorously, "And you are always welcome here, of course."

"We were visiting Lavitz's mother, and thought we'd drop by to say hi." Shana explained shyly, "We were not interrupting anything, I hope?"

"Oh no!" Emille laughed, "I was merely curious what an ancient Sardian shaman necklace look like, and Albert went to find it for me. But I guess my father was more curious than I?"

Albert grinned: "Well, I can't blame him really. I took enough antiques from his treasury to satisfy my own interest." He gestured to Dart and Shana, "Please, take a seat, and tell me how's everything going in Seles."

"It's going pretty good." Dart replied, sitting down next to Shana, "We finished rebuilding the church and the clinic… Some houses need more work, but everyone is sheltered at least."

"And Dart weeded out a lot of the monsters in the forest, so merchants are more willing to travel to the village now." Shana added with a smile, looking at her childhood friend and love affectionately.

"Yeah well… After what we've been through, it was a rather simple task." Dart scratched his head.

Their light-hearted chat was interrupted by a guard: "Your Majesties… There are two people here to see you. One claims to be your, ah, **_pal_**. Her name is Meru."

"Oh, let them in. Thank you." Albert chuckled, shaking his head.

Very soon, two silver haired winglies walked into the throne room, and Albert smiled: "Just in time for the reunion, Meru."

"Albert! Hey, Dart, you are here too!" Meru panted slightly, "That's good, I don't have to go to Seles then."

Dart frowned slightly, standing up: "Why? Is something the matter?"

"Yes! You must come to Ulara with us, at once. Deningrad was destroyed!"

"What? But… How?! I haven't heard a word!" Albert jumped to his feet.

"You should receive words soon enough. It happened last night, we flew straight here." Meru waved her hands frantically, "Anyway, you gotta come with us! Someone powerful is behind this… You should have seen, there was this huge earthquake, and a hurricane, and the entire city went up in flames!"

Shana paled: "And what of the people? Is Miranda alright?"

"Miranda escaped, so did another Sacred Sister. But the Queen and everyone else in the castle were dead." Guaraha was the one who answered, hanging his head in sorrow, "There were only thirty or so survivors from the entire city."

"This is… this is genocide!" Albert started pacing as Emille sat in her chair, stunned beyond words. He whirled around to face Meru and Guaraha: "Do you know who's responsible?"

"Nope, but we hope to find out. Al, Dart, you gotta come with us to Ulara. Miranda is bringing Haschel and Kongol, and Lloyd already went there to see Charle."

"Lloyd?" Dart repeated in confusion.

"Uh, yeah. Dude is alive and all… he saved Wink again, so I guess he ain't bad." Meru shrugged.

"Oh, okay…" Albert said slowly. He shook his head after a moment, and asked a guard to settle two horses.

"Make it three, please." Shana spoke up suddenly and turned to Dart, "I'm coming with you."

"No, Shana…"

"Dart, there is something I didn't tell you." Shana's face was pale, but her voice was steady, "Last night… I felt a stir inside. It unsettled me, but I didn't think it was anything. Now… I'm not sure."

"Shana…"

"Shana is still the moon child, is she not? This might have something to do with the soul of the God of Destruction."

"Albert." Dart said warningly, but Shana shook her head.

"Albert is right." She said slowly, "I'd like to go with you. This… might have something to do with **_me_**."

"…Alright." Dart sighed heavily, relenting, "If you truly felt something, it could be a bad idea to leave you alone in Seles."

He pulled her to her feet and turned to Albert once again: "We have to go back to the village and pack. I don't have the divine dragoon spirit with me. We'll meet you back here in an hour."

Albert watched them leave, and then turned to the two winglies: "Meru, Guaraha… I'm sorry, but could you please give me a moment with Emille alone? You are welcome to go anywhere in the castle, and if you need anything, just tell Minister Noish, he'll help you."

"Sure thing, Al, don't worry about us." Meru grabbed Guaraha's hand, "C'mon, I gotta show you some really cool stuff!"

As soon as the door closed and they were alone in the room, Albert went over to Emille's chair and knelt in front of her. "I have to go, you know," He said softly, "Before I'm a king, I'm a dragoon."

"Yes, I know." Emille nodded, "Your obligation is not only to this country, but to the world as well. I… I've always known, but it doesn't make it any easier."

"Emille…"

"I wish I could go with you, you know. Like Shana is going with Dart. But I have my own obligations as well." She bit her lip, blinking back her tears, "Just promise me you will be very careful, Albert, and don't worry about anything else. I shall take care of everything here while you are away."

"Thank you." Albert embraced his wife tightly, "I'm very sorry, Emille."

"You need not be." She replied softly, "I fell in love with the hero in you too, you know? And I have always accepted this duty, as your partner, and as your queen."

"I thank you for that, with all my heart." Deeply moved, he leaned forward to kiss her passionately, "I love you Emille. I will come back to you as soon as I can."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart."

The King and Queen of Sardio stayed in each other's arms for a long time after that, kissing, caressing, and no more words were exchanged- none were needed.

**********

A/N:

Next chapter, most of the main characters gather in Ulara. Wink makes a startling discovery about herself; while Shana becomes even more confused with the role she was destined to play. As Dart and others search for a clue to the source of the mysteries light, it strikes again, in a most unexpected place.


End file.
